I. Science Fair Question
How does the addition of sodium citrate and changing pH affect the ability of different foods to undergo spherification?
II. Background Research
Did you ever hear the term molecular gastronomy? This research paper is going to talk about spherification. Terms that will be discussed in this paper will include molecular gastronomy, spherification, chemical reactions, and solutions.
Molecular gastronomy is the area of food science that explores how to make these spheres, as well as other ways ingredients in our food are physically and chemically changed (Rowland). Molecular gastronomy looks at how molecules in our food change (Rowland). When you make dishes with pure compounds, it is difficult. Another way is to go back
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Sodium alginate and calcium chloride are two main chemicals in spherification. When you are doing spherification with food, it has to be in liquid form (such as fruit juice, soda, pudding, soup, or pureed fruit) (Rowland). In a blender, the food is mixed with sodium alginate to make a smooth solution. The food and sodium alginate mixture is then added, one drop at a time, into a bath of calcium chloride mixed with water. If everything works, the sodium alginate and food mixture turns into drop-size spheres when the calcium chloride comes into contact with the food and sodium alginate mixture. After the spheres are made, they can then be removed from the calcium chloride solution (using a spoon) and the served (Rowland). If you are trying to find alginate, look in seaweed. Alginate molecules are always found in seaweed. Hydrocolloid or gum are some other words for this molecule. This is because alginate has the ability to gel or thicken water. Alginate has to be evenly spread out into the liquid that it is going to gel. There also has to be no lumps and the molecules to be surrounded by water or hydrated (ChefSteps). When you mix sodium alginate with any liquid can cause air bubbles to form. This can cause the liquid to be very dense. Air bubbles can be a problem with spherification because they can cause weak points in the sphere’s membrane and cause it to …show more content…
If you want the food to go through spherification right, it has to have a certain pH. If the food is too acidic, then spherification will not go well. To make the food less acidic, you add a third chemical, which is sodium citrate, to the food (Rowland). The flavor of the liquid is important in direct spherification. A pH of 3.6 alginate converts into algenic acid which is insoluble. This controls hydration. This also thickens the solution. When this happens, it is very hard to form good droplets. To fix this, add and alkaline ingredient. This is sometimes called buffering salt. When you add this, it elevates the pH of the liquid over 3.6 before adding sodium alginate (ChefSteps). The pH of an acid is somewhere between 0 and 7. The pH of a base is somewhere between 7 and 14. The liquids we see every day have a pH near 7. There are some acids that have a pH below 1 like battery acid. Some bases have a pH of 14 like drain cleaner, and sodium hydroxide. They are very dangerous (Andrew Rader). The pH of a liquid is information that is very important. pH test paper, pH indicator sticks, or pH meters make pH measuring very simple (Acids, Bases, and The pH Scale). pH is most likely the most important property of the moisture of soil that indicates what kind of crops will grow readily in the soil in agriculture. It also indicates what changes should be made to adjust for growing different types of crops. Soils
An example would be pure water. Most of the time the pH is determined by pH paper but there are also other ways to determine the pH. For example, in this lab, cabbage juice was used. Cabbage juice is a great pH indicator because it can be homemade and easy to access.
Prior to high school, my uncle was my chemistry teacher. As a food scientist, he was to me a great inventor who knew everything about the magic of taste, texture, and aroma; I still remember his lecture on “good” chocolate and how cocoa butter—solid at room temperature—melts readily in our mouths. Raised on an early appreciation for the power of applied science, I am now driven toward chemical science by a desire to uncover solutions to challenges in the modern world.
By using the pH paper to measure the solutions A through E it would point out what substance is an acid and which one was basic. Also, by adding Bromothymol blue and Phenolphthalein afterwards to the solution it would indicate what color it would turn to when mixed into an acid and a base.
Procedure: Filled each test tube with substances provided and subjected them to various conditions. These conditions included, heat, cold water, hot water, acid and basic additions and tested on litmus paper. The reactions were observed and documented at each step.
The pH of soil is important for the absorption of nutrients into the plant. Of the 17 needed plant nutrients 14 of them are acquired through the soil. Acidity is needed to break down and dissolve these nutrients. The nutrients are able to dissolve into the soil faster when the acid is acting as a solute. Another way the pH affects the soil is by influencing microorganisms. The bacteria is crucial in the growth and development of the plant, the bacteria’s role is to break down and decompose organic matter in the soil. If the pH of the soil is too high the acid will slow down and eventually stop the microorganisms. Most plants ideal pH is between 6-7, slightly acidic. Many plants are outliers and thrive in pH such as carrots and corn, which can withstand pH as low as 5.5. If the pH of the soil is too high for the desired crop farmers can add material such as limestone, and wood ashes to raise the pH to the desired level. The pH of the soil can also be changed naturally through the leaching of calcium, magnesium and sodium by rainwater. Carbon dioxide from rotting organic matter can also increase the pH of the soil. Acids can also be created organically in the form of sulfuric and nitric
An acid is a chemical substance that typically has a corrosive or sour-taste and turns litmus paper red. It has a pH of below 7 and can generally dissolve some metals or even neutralize alkalis. A base on the other hand, is the opposite. They have a bitter taste and are very aqueous. Their pH rating is above 7 and they turn litmus paper blue. In science, pH is the negative log of the activity of the hydrogen ion in an aqueous solution. Basically, we find the pH of a substance by using a testing strip or litmus paper to see the amount of H+ atoms in it. Litmus paper, a common indicator, is used to easily test the pH level of a substance. We can see how acidic or basic a substance is by comparing it to others on a pH scale. A pH scale ranges from 0-14, the most acidic being 0 and most basic being 14. Lemon juice, for example, has a pH of 2 meaning its very acidic. However, average dish soap has a pH of 7-8. The only thing left is a pH level of exactly 7. A pH of 7 is perfectly neutral, not acidic or
In this lab we performed four test. Using these test we discovered how the chemicals compounds Citric Acid, Calcium Chloride, Sucrose, Potassium Iodine, Phenyl Salicylate , and Sodium Chloride reacted to heat and many solutions. We also noticed that Phenyl salicylate was the least reactive out of all chemical compounds. Using the information discovered from the lab we were able to separate the chemical compounds into two groups. In group one were the chemical compounds Calcium chloride, Citric acid, Potassium iodide, Sodium chloride, and Sucrose these chemical compounds reacted to three of the four test. Group two was just Phenyl salicylate which reacted to only one of the four test. We also were able to state that group one was a covalent compound group and, group two was an ionic compound
In order for the media to show the change in acidity the solutions are modified and include an indicator chemical. This indicator will change color depending on the ph level of the media it is in. For all the media used in this experiment, the indicator changes to a yellow color when in the presence of an acid and turns magenta/pink when in the presence of a base or alkali.
This document is not meant to be a substitute for a formal laboratory report. The Lab Report Assistant is simply a summary of the experiment’s questions, diagrams if needed, and data tables that should be addressed in a formal lab report. The intent is to facilitate students’ writing of lab reports by providing this information in an editable file which can be sent to an instructor.
The purpose of this experiment was to see if altering the ingredients of a bath bomb affected the effervescent when placed in water. When a bath bomb is submerged in water the ingredients caused it to fizz, releasing a scent and changing the color of the water. This bath bomb experiment requires two recipes, the first recipe which was labelled as “normal”, contained less cornstarch than the other recipe. In addition to the “normal” recipe, the other recipe was labelled “extra” because it contains more cornstarch. During this process, by adding or subtracting ingredients the eversences of the bath bomb changed. If more cornstarch is added to the recipe, the bath bomb will not fizz as much when placed in water. This is caused by the cornstarch,
The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of various pHs, temperatures, chemical
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